The Separatists' theology was mainly Calvinist. They believed in the absolute sovereignty of God, the total depravity of man, and salvation through divine grace (not self-effort or good deeds). They considered themselves God's elect, specially chosen by God for redemption. Therefore, they saw themselves as exceptional, and they carried a sense of exclusivity that separated them from the rest of the world, whether in Holland or in England.
To show this sense of separation, I decided to stay in the vernacular of graffiti and use "spray paint" around the area where I plan to print the group of Pilgrims. Using a can of Krylon spray paint like the taggers use wasn't possible, as I wanted to use sumi ink on top of the spray, so I needed to use waterbased pigment. First I tried watering down some white pigment and squirting it from a plastic spray bottle, but the coverage wasn't opaque enough and the nozzle clogged too quickly. So I ended up dipping a fingernail brush into the paint and using my thumb to push the bristles back to release a fine spray. It was a little wild to control, but definitely fun!
After the spray, I added an impression of gray paint along the edges to make the color a little more dirty and dingy. It's a subtle difference, but here's a before and after comparison:
Next I'll be carving some Pilgrims.